The Inaugural Sorting
by Tetra Folly
Summary: The great wizarding school had to begin somewhere. It is the end of the tenth century, and this great school is just beginning. Faylinn Aubert is a young muggle-born who did not know anything about the wizarding world until a strange man appears at her front door. She is now starting her journey into the wizarding world at the newest school in all of Britain.
1. Chapter 1

The secrets that the world holds. These secrets can divide and separate families and friends. Back in the late tenth century, a school was built around one of these secrets. A school of magic built for children who were to be trained as witches and wizards, but not all children could attend this special school. Only those who had magic running through them, and only they could learn the ways of wizards. Whether they were born into a wizarding family, or to the non-magical folks, they would come together to learn about their world and become some of the greatest wizards the world has ever known.

Deep within a small town named Westborne, a young girl would learn of this world. Her name is Faylinn Aubert, an eleven-year-old growing up in the far north of England. She lives with her mother, her father having died when she was very young, and together they work hard to keep food on the table for them. Her mother was a servant for the local lord, and Faylinn helped her with her work. The lady of the manor took pity on Faylinn, for she loved the child and had yet to have one of her own, and taught her how to read and write whenever she found the time. Faylinn was grateful towards the woman, especially since her own mother was often too busy to be bothered by her.

Faylinn kept to herself, but strange accidents seemed to follow her around. No one thought much of them, but eventually people began to get annoyed and needed someone to pin the blame on. People took notice that she always was around the site of the incidents when they occurred, but Faylinn had no explanation for them. She was confused and had no idea what was happening. Her mother deep within her heart knew that the accidents seemed to come from Faylinn, even though she did not know how. She kept an eye on her daughter, and noticed that they only occurred when Faylinn was upset about something. Her emotions seemed to fuel the unseen force that caused these strange occurrences.

"Fay, my dear child, you need to be careful with your emotions. They control the accidents, but you can control them. Keep your emotions down, and the accidents will cease to be," she told her, and left before Faylinn could reply.

She knew that, even though her mother did not seem to realize it. Faylinn did not know how to control them, but occasionally, she found that she did not truly want to stop them. Usually the incidents were targeted at people who pushed her around or made fun of her mother. She wanted them to stop, and they did after they were thrown in a tree by the wind or something along those lines. Faylinn kept away from everyone else, while they did not bother her for they feared her.

Her life was heading towards insanity, and she felt like it could not get any worse. Her life she wished would change for the better, yet she did not know that very soon, her wish would be granted. One night, as she and her mother were about to head off to bed, a knock came from the front door of their little house. Her mother went to answer it, and entered with a strange looking man. He seemed to feel uncomfortable in the clothing that he was wearing, constantly shifting his shirt, but when he saw Faylinn, he stopped instantly.

"Good evening," he said, "My name is Larkin Tudor, and I assume that you are Ms. Aubert. Am I correct?"

"Indeed you are. I do not mean to sound impolite, but who are you and why have you come?"

He answers simply by pulling out a letter from his pocket. He hands it to her, and Faylinn notices that it is addressed to her, and not her mother, which was strange to her. Larkin just stood there uncomfortably, watching her as she opened up the envelope.

 _Dear Ms. Aubert,_

 _We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry._

 _This is the first year that our fine school has been opened, enclosed is a list of nearby portkeys and the dates and times in which they leave._

 _There is also a list of supplies that you will need in order to attend. Term begins on the first day of the month of September._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Godric Gryffindor Helga Hufflepuff_

 _Rowena Ravenclaw Salazar Slytherin_

Upon reading this, she almost dropped the letter. Her mother caught it, and read the letter herself. She fell backwards into a chair, and Larkin Tudor had apparently left the room and had fetched a glass of water. It seemed that this was not the first time he has had this reaction.

"I am assuming this is not the first time that you have had this type of reaction Mr. Tudor," she said, taking the letter from her mother's hand and started reading it again.

"You have assumed correctly. Though Ms. Aubert, most of the children have similar reactions to their parents. You, however, have remained calm. Does this not surprise you at all?"

"No, not really. I've always known that I was different. Everyone in town knows that I'm different, this doesn't really come as a surprise. I am a little shocked that there is a school for magic though. Also, what are portkeys, and where do I go to get the things on this list?"

"Now, see that is one of the reasons I am here. The first being to try and explain all of this to your mother. The other was to take you to go get your supplies tomorrow. A portkey is a magical device that works at a set time. You touch it and it will transport you to a specific destination. The closest one for you is a few days journey from here. If you are interested in attending, let me know. I will be back tomorrow for your answer," he said as he walked back towards the door.

Faylinn still had more questions, and followed him out the front door. She heard a loud pop, and he disappeared. She walked back into the house, where she found her mother sitting in a chair with her head in her hands. The woman looked to either be crying or shaking with anger. Faylinn walked over to her, and when she reached out to touch the woman's shoulder, her mother grabbed her and pulled her into a hug.

"I always knew you were different. I just did not want to admit it to myself. If you want to Faylinn, you can go to this school. You might finally find the place where you belong, in the world of magic. I just wonder what your father would have said to that man had he been here," she said through her tears, and her daughter was stunned that her mother would so quickly accept this knowledge without any cares.

"Mother, what about you? I do not want to leave you here all alone. What would you do without me?"

"I'll be fine, do not worry about me. I have friends here, and I can write to you. I just need to learn how to from that strange man," she said, looking at her daughter with a smile.

Faylinn nodded her head. She did not want to leave her mom, but knew that it would be safer for her to learn about this magic that was hers to control. She said goodnight to her mother, and left for bed. She had decided that she would go to this school of magic, even though she did not fully trust that man Larkin Tudor. Faylinn hoped that this would also help the rumors die down about her, and help her mother in the long run with possibly finding better work.


	2. Chapter 2

Faylinn hardly slept that night, she wondered when the man from the night before. He was strange, but she couldn't help but be curious about him. He came into the house, and spoke only a few words and left again, but he had changed her life. The next morning, she walked out into the main living area, and saw her mother. She had fallen asleep in one of the few chairs. Faylinn managed to suppress a giggle when she entered the room, and walked over and gently shook her arm to awaken her. She jumped up with a start, and now Faylinn could no longer suppress her laughter. Soon, the two of them were laughing together, the event that took place the night before temporarily forgotten. They made their food, and were discussing normal topics, and not the stranger from before. Eventually though, Faylinn noticed her mother's eyes kept darting towards the parchment letter that was sitting at the other end of the table. She looked sad, and this bothered her daughter.

"Mother, what's wrong?" she asked, looking over at the woman who was startled by her question.

"Oh, well, I'm just worrying about you and the world that the man had said existed. It's not like I don't believe him, it is just that I do not know what will happen to you when you leave".

"You can come with me, at least until I have all I need for school".

"I know that darling, but you know that I can't. I have to stay here and work, keep the house up. Do not worry about me, I'll be fine without you here".

Before Faylinn could speak again, there was a knock at the door. She figured who it was before she opened the door. There standing in the doorway was the man from the night before, Larkin Tudor. Faylinn stood aside and let him enter, and closed the door behind him. He walked over to where her mother was still sitting, and spoke.

"Have you made a decision regarding your enrollment Ms. Aubert?" he asked, directing his attention towards Faylinn.

She looked past him, staring at her mother who gave her a smile for encouragement. Faylinn looked Larkin in the eye, and gave him a smile.

"Yes, I will attend this strange school of magic. It sounds to me like an adventure," she said, and went over to her mother and gave her a hug.

"Then we best be off. We need to get your supplies today as the portkey that will transport you to the school leaves tomorrow. Your mother is welcome to come, but since she is your only living relative it might be best if she remained here in order to keep the house in order and to insure that nothing bad happens," he said glancing between mother and daughter.

They nodded at the man, and Faylinn walked over to him. She was confused, since the journey to any city would take several days, it didn't make sense to her for there to be any quicker way. Larkin and Faylinn left the house and went behind the small building. She looked up into his eyes, and he gave out a small laugh.

"Do not worry, I have permission for this since we are in such a hurry. Hold onto my arm, now you may get a strange feeling, but it is perfectly normal. Now hold on and do not let go," he said, and she complied with his instructions.

She heard a loud crack and felt herself being pulled and dragged. Faylinn kept a firm grip on Larkin, scared that she might be left in the swirling vortex if she let go, out of fear the girl closed her eyes. After what felt like forever, Faylinn opened up her eyes into the sunlight. Larkin walked out of the alleyway that they had landed in and motioned for her to follow. She walked out into a street lined with peculiar shops. There was so much to see and do, she had no idea what was going to happen.

"Uh, Mr. Tudor, where are we? I've never seen a place like this ever," she said as she kept glancing around the street.

"This, Ms. Aubert, is where many witches and wizards purchase the supplies that are required to make use of their magic. There are shops that sell items for potions, others sell robes. This area is also where you can receive your wand. Do not worry, I have been given money in order for you to be able to purchase your supplies," he said, leading her towards the robe shop.

Once inside, an older woman took Faylinn's hand and led her away from Larkin. The woman pulled out several selections of robes, and started fitting her with them. An hour later, Larkin and Faylinn left the shop with her uniform for the school. He showed her the shop that sold potion making equipment, and they had several purchases made by the time it was late afternoon. There was one shop left that they had yet to visit, and it looked older than most of the others. Larkin led her into the shop, and she saw that the shelves were lined with small boxes. A man came out from the back, and Larkin stood back so that he could see Faylinn.

"Welcome, I see we have a young witch in need of a wand. Welcome then, to Ollivanders," he said as he walked up to her. He was smiling, and Faylinn found him a little strange, but thought that he looked like a kind enough sort of person. He took a look at her, and seemed to be deep in thought. After a few moments, he went over to the shelf and pulled a box off of the shelf.

"Here, try this one. A simple one that you might be able to use. Unicorn hair and vine wood makes for an interesting combination," he said, handing her what looked to be a long stick. She looked at him for a moment, and waved the wand. Nothing happened, and Faylinn felt a little strange and silly. She was grateful when the shop owner snatched t from her. He handed her a different one, and they went through several different types of wands. Ollivander looked to be getting annoyed, but kept pulling out different wands. Eventually, they had been standing there for over an hour, and Faylinn was wondering if they would ever find a wand for her. Mr. Ollivander looked at her, and pulled out another wand. Faylinn wasn't too sure about this, but figured they could try at least one more wand. He handed her the wand, and she had a warm feeling in her fingertips, and she waved the wand. Sparks flew, and Ollivander was smiling.

"Knew we would find one eventually, that there is an Ash and Unicorn Hair wand. Now you should be prepared to begin learning how to use magic," he said to her. Larkin paid for the wand, and Faylinn thought she heard him say "Thank you Geraint," but she wasn't too sure about that. They left the shop, and now Faylinn had all of her supplies, and Larkin held out his arm for her.

"We need to travel quickly, the Portkey leaves tomorrow, and that is how you will reach the school. It is not very far from your home," he said handing her a piece of parchment," That has all of the instructions of where to go, and what object you will be looking for. Now, let us be off".

She heard the loud cracking sound again, and felt the rush of being dragged down. Soon, she saw that they were behind her home, and they went around to the front, and Faylinn knocked and entered the house. Her mother was there, and looked glad to see her. Larkin walked over and spoke in low whispers to her. Faylinn could not hear what was being said, but her mother was nodding her head and had a sad expression on her face.

"Good bye Ms. Aubert," Larkin said, and with that being said, he left.

Faylinn went over to her mother, who just looked at her child with a sense of wonder. She got up from her chair, and gave her daughter a hug. She gripped Faylinn tightly, and did not say anything for a long time. Eventually, she pulled away and looked her in the eye.

"Tomorrow, you will be embarking on a journey without me. You have made your choice to explore this world that you have entered. I know you are hesitant to go Faylinn, but do not worry about me. I will be fine on my own, and will still be here when you return. I will tell anyone who asks that I sent you to live up north, because of all of the strange accidents and I thought it was better for you not to be here," she said, and Faylinn understood what Larkin had told her.

He most likely mentioned this, and her mother had to create a story for cover. She understood that, and did not think anymore of it. They ate dinner in silence, and all too soon it was time for them to go to sleep. Faylinn was wide awake and was having difficulty falling asleep. After several hours of lying awake, Faylinn finally managed to enter a fitful slumber. Her adventures would begin tomorrow, and she would deal with whatever the next day would bring.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, Faylinn woke to the sound of her mother making breakfast. Confused as to why her mother would be awake so early, but then she recalled the insanity of events from the past two days. Quickly getting dressed, Faylinn went to eat her breakfast with her mother. They ate in silence, but eventually they were finished, and Faylinn helped her mother clean up. She knew it would be the last time for a while that she would be able to do so. Soon, the mess was cleaned up, and her mother sat down in a chair and stared out the window. Faylinn went to her room and pulled out the note that Mr. Tudor had given her.

 _Ms. Aubert,_

 _Your portkey leaves at noon, when the sun is high in the sky._

 _Do not be late._

 _You are looking for a small pail made out of worn wood._

 _Change into your school robes before you leave since there will not be time when you arrive._

 _I will see you at Hogwarts._

 _Larkin Tudor_

She looked outside, and saw that the sun was already getting close to high noon, when she would have to leave. Larkin had gotten her a trunk so that she may carry her supplies and clothing with her. Faylinn went about gathering her things, packing up the few possessions that she owned and placing them within her trunk. She pulled out one of the sets of robes that she had, and changed into the black outfit that would be for her new home. She had been told that the robes would change once she had settled in, but she did not know what the woman had meant by that. She walked back to where her mother was sitting, and the woman just stared at her. The woman was crying, and Faylinn did not know what to say, or how to comfort her.

"Mother, it will be alright," she said, kneeling down on the floor so she could look her in the eye.

"I know darling, it is just hard to look at you. You have grown up my child and are leaving to find your place in the world. These are not tears of sadness, these are tears of joy," she replied with a smile, and leaned forward, hugging Faylinn.

They sat there for several minutes, but all too soon it was time for Faylinn to go. Her mother helped her get the trunk out of the house, and to where she was to find her portkey. They scoured the area, and eventually Faylinn found the object that Larkin Tudor had described in the last note. A worn down, beaten up pail was lying on its side. Faylinn gave her mother one last hug, and walked over to her trunk with the pail, and sat down, gripping onto both the trunk and the key.

When the sun was directly overhead, Faylinn felt a tug, and was been pulled through the air. She felt dizzy, and closed her eyes. The journey seemed to take forever, but eventually she felt her trunk hit the ground, and she fell off of it and hit the ground. She opened her eyes, and saw herself gazing across a giant lake, and up on the hill overlooking the lake, was a giant castle. It was amazing to look at, and it made her wonder where in the world she was. She heard several other voices, which drew her attention away from the castle. Several other children who looked to be about her age were arriving from out of nowhere. A man walked up to the group, and Faylinn recognized him as Larkin Tudor.

"Hello, I welcome you all to Hogwarts! If you please follow me, I will lead you up to the castle where you will meet your professors and see what this school has to offer you," he said, and Faylinn noticed that his voice sounded much louder than it had when she saw him yesterday.

A few of the others immediately started following Larkin, others were more hesitant. Faylinn quickly followed, not wanting to be left behind. Those who had hesitated seemed to be thinking the same thing, as they also quickly started following him. Looking around, she guessed that there could not have been more than 50 kids in the group, it made her wonder if there would be any more. They all were about her age from what she could tell, but knew that did not mean anything.

Larkin led them to several small boats that were sitting at the edge of the lake. They were told to climb in, and Faylinn quickly got into one of the first boats. Larkin took the one in the front, and soon all of the boats were filled and there was no one left on the lakeshore. With a wave of Larkin's wand, the boats lurched forward, and they were sailing across the lake. The boats bobbed in the water, a little more so than Faylinn would have liked, but that wasn't the thing she was paying attention to. The castle was growing the closer they sailed to it, and Faylinn could not take her eyes off of it. Others were looking on in amazement at the great building, and some were saying something about a shadow that was underneath the water. The fleet of boats eventually met the other side of the lake, and they disembarked. Once everyone was out of the boats, Larkin led them up to the castle, and he opened up the doors so that they could enter the castle.

It was beautiful on the inside, and was larger than it had seemed from the outside. Paintings covered the walls, along with several tapestries. Larkin led the group to another set of large doors, and opened them. Faylinn gasped, and she could hear others doing the same, for inside was a large dining room. There were four long tables in rows, and at the end was another long table in which sat five people who looked to have been expecting them. The room was large, and could easily sit over a thousand people, or so it seemed. Larkin led the group down the center aisle. He arranged them in a small semicircle, and took his place next to the other five. They all stood up, and a larger man who was near the center spoke as another man got up and pulled out a chair and a hat.

"Welcome, children, to Hogwarts! You may have noticed that there are very few of you compared to this large castle, however hopefully this will not always be the case. You are the first students to ever come to this school, the first to call it a home. No other has set foot here to learn the ways of magic. You make history as the first class to study here, and you will not be the last. My name is Godric Gryffindor," he said, then pointed to an elegant looking woman on his right, "This is Rowena Ravenclaw," points out woman on his other side who looked less elegant but had a kind face, "and this is Helga Hufflepuff".

He went to point out the man on the other side of Helga, but it was hard not to notice the grim look on his face. He seemed strict, and a little intimidating, and he kept looking at Faylinn. She began to wish that she were somewhere else, because that man seemed to stare deep within her soul.

"This is Salazar Slytherin, and we are the founders of this school. We have also with us two others who have graciously agreed to join us and help work here to make this school one of a kind. You all have met Larkin Tudor, he led you here across the lake, and the man with the hat standing next to the chair is Traxon Gorgin. They will be here to help you get settled in, so do not be afraid to ask them for help. Now I will pass things over to Traxon, to explain what is going to happen now".

Traxon Gorgin looked at the group steadily, and then spoke with a softer voice, "I have here a list of your names, when you hear your name called, you will come forth and have a seat. This hat has been enchanted, and will sort you into what is formally called your house. Each house will be overseen by one of the four founders, and I will direct you to each table that your house will sit at. Do not worry, this process is a lot quicker than you believe".

He held the hat high, and called out the first name, which had Faylinn terrified. He called out, "Faylinn Aubert". She walked forward steadily, not happy about being the first one. She felt Slytherin's eyes on her as she made her way to the chair and sat down. Traxon placed the hat on her head, and she heard a voice whispering in her ear.

 _Hmm, not too sure about being the first one, are you? Well, you seem to have many strengths, and backing down from a fight is not an option? Or is it? You seem to know when to stay and fight, and when to walk away. You think hard about your options before you make your decision. With a mind like this, you belong in… RAVENCLAW!_

The last word was heard by all, and Traxon removed the hat from her head, and directed her to one of the tables. She sat down and watched as each student was sorted and seated. She looked at the table in the front and saw that Slytherin was still glaring at her. He only looked at the sorting when a girl whose name was Morose Slytherin, was called up to the front and sorted into the Slytherin house. I wonder if she is related to him? She thought to herself as the sorting continued. Eventually, every student was seated and waiting for one of the adults to speak up. This time, it was Helga who spoke.

"Now that you are all sorted, you all must be hungry. Let us eat and then each of us will lead you to your dorms," she said, and waved her and. Food appeared on the tables along with plates.

Faylinn noticed how the entire room was silent, making it clear that no one knew what to say, or who anyone else was. She paused for a moment, and turned to look at a girl who was sitting next to her.

"Hello there," she said with a smile, "my name is Faylinn Aubert, what is yours?"

"Oh, um, my name is Helena Ravenclaw. It is nice to meet you," she said, and eventually returned her smile.

"Are you related to Rowena Ravenclaw, one of the founders?"

"Yes, she is my mother, though most people here know that. I was wondering, do you know why Slytherin is staring at you? It is strange if you ask me".

"No, I don't. Ever since I first looked at him he has been almost glaring at me. I find it as strange as you do".

"Well, hopefully he does not do that all of the time. So, what are you?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean are you a pureblood, or a half-blood?"

"Um, I'm pretty sure I'm neither. When Mr. Tudor showed up at my home, I had no knowledge of magic".

"Oh, so you are a muggle-born then?"

"Yes".

"That would explain why Slytherin would not like you. He probably knows that you are a muggle-born. He is very much into the whole purebloods are the best. I think that you might be the only one here since he is not looking at anyone else with that stare".

They stopped talking for a few moments so that they could finish eating their food. When he plates disappeared, each of the founders went to each table. Rowena Ravenclaw stopped at theirs and gave a smile.

"If you will kindly follow me, I will show you to your common room," she said, and everyone at her table got up to follow.

The group followed Ravenclaw out of the dining area, and over to the staircase. They entered another area, and Faylinn looked up to see a huge set of stairs. After staring for a moment, she saw some of the stairs move, Rowena was saying something, but Faylinn wasn't paying attention. She noticed that everyone was moving again and quickly hurried to catch up. They were led up the staircase, and off to what Faylinn assumed was one of the towers. The area was circular, and there was a large door at one end. It didn't have a doorknob, and Ravenclaw walked up to the door. Upon closer examination, a knocker in the shape of an eagle could be seen. Faylinn stood towards the front next to Helena, and watched as Rowena used the knocker. She was startled to hear the eagle speak.

I am the beginning of the end, and the end of time and space. I am essential to creation, and I surround every place.

"In order to enter, you must answer a riddle. If you fail, then you will have to wait for someone else to answer it and let you in. Does anyone know the answer to this riddle?" Ravenclaw asked, looking around at the students.

Faylinn looked around, but no one seemed to know the answer. Helena seemed to be deep in thought, but Faylinn already had figured out the answer. She raised her hand slowly into the air, and Ravenclaw nodded to acknowledge her.

"Is it the letter E?" she asked, looking at the woman.

"Why do you believe that?"

"Well, if you write out the riddle, e is at the beginning of the word end, it is the last letter in time and space, you cannot spell the word creation without it, and it is the first and last letter of the two word phrase every place".

Rowena smiled, and the door opened up behind her. Everyone looked at Faylinn, who started blushing. They entered the large circular main area, and Rowena gathered them together.

"This is the common room, you may spend your free time here if you so wish. The dorms are up the stairs, and you will find your belongings upstairs in your rooms. I'll leave you to let you get settled in, and I will see you all tomorrow morning," Rowena said, and left them at the base of the stairs to the other rooms.

Helena and Faylinn found that they were in the same room, and wasted no time in relaxing. Several hours passed, and eventually it was time for them to go to bed. It took Faylinn a while to fall asleep that night, everything was so strange. After a while, Faylinn managed to fall asleep, ready to start learning magic the next day.


End file.
